Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, and Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam. Our parasha begins with the laws of the metzora and his purification procedures. The metzora is afflicted with tzarat. This disease is unidentifiable with any skin ailments that exist in our own time. As such, the Rashbam (Rabbi Shmuel ben Meir, 1080-1158) introduced our topic in the following manner: All of the sections dealing with the afflictions (negayim) affecting people, garments, houses and the manner in which they appear as well as the number of days requiring sequestering, the white, black, and golden identifying hairs may not in any way be understood by following the simple and direct meaning of the text. Neither may we rely upon standard human knowledge and expertise. Instead, we must follow the analysis (midrash) of the Sages, their decrees, and the inherited body of knowledge that they received from the earliest Sages. This is the essence [of this matter]. In sum, tzarat is solely understandable from the Torah’s perspective, rather than from a physiological or medical viewpoint. Instead of being biologically-based in origin, it is a spiritual malady that manifests itself in a physical fashion. The Torah’s first recorded use of the term “tzarat” is found in the fourth chapter of Sefer Shemot, wherein Moshe protested to Hashem that the Jewish people will categorically reject the authenticity of his shlichut (status as G-d’s messenger): “Moses answered and said, ‘Behold they [the Jewish people] will not believe me, and they will not heed my voice, but they will say, the L-rd has not appeared to you.’” (Verse 1, this and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach, brackets my own) Hashem then provided His chosen prophet with a variety of visual proofs to present to the nation: And the L-rd said further to him [Moshe], “Now put your hand into your chest area,” and he put his hand therein, and he took it out, and behold, his hand was covered in tzarat like snow. And He [G-d] said, “Put your hand back into your chest area,” and he put his hand therein, and [when] he took it out from his chest, it had become again like [the rest of] his flesh. And it will come to pass, that if they [the Jewish people] do not believe you [Moshe], and they do not heed the voice of the first sign [the staff into serpent], they will believe the voice of the last sign [tzarat and its cure]. (Ibid., verses 6-8, with my emendations and brackets to enhance readability; underlining my own) Why would the Jewish people so readily doubt that Moshe was Hashem’s shaliach (messenger)? There are many potential answers to such a question. Yet, I believe it is likely that the people mistrusted Moshe due to his having fled Egypt after realizing that the slaying of the would-be murderous Egyptian (Ibid. , 2:11-12) was no longer a secret. As the text states: “Moses became frightened and said, ‘Indeed, the matter has become known!’ Pharaoh heard of this incident, and he sought to slay Moses; so Moses fled from before Pharaoh. He stayed in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.” (Ibid. , 2:14-15) It is quite probable that as a result of Moshe’s departure from Egypt, that the Jewish people felt abandoned and thought that he was seeking to disentangle himself from their trials and tribulations. Though Moshe had ostensibly fled to save his life, in all likelihood, it was not perceived this way by the nation. As my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993) noted, Moshe definitely had an unspoken agenda in his flight to Midian: “… he had fled to Midian in order to distance himself from them and their suffering.” (Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Darosh Darash Yosef: Discourses of Rav Yosef Dov Halevi Soloveitchik on the Weekly Parashah, Rabbi Avishai C. David, editor, page 126) It is little wonder, then, that our enslaved brethren did not initially accept Moshe as Hashem’s messenger. This, I believe, was precisely the reason why Hashem specifically chose tzarat as one of the signs to prove the validity of Moshe’s agency. As our parasha makes abundantly clear, tzarat demands sequestering of the affected individual from the rest of society. Moshe had done this himself, and of his own volition, when he ran away from his people! Now, he was not only going to physically return to Egypt, he was going there to rejoin his brothers and sisters and share their plight. This, I believe, was symbolized by his removing his hand from his chest a second time in a now perfectly healed tzarat-free condition. In sum, Moshe was truly back. Rav Soloveitchik conceptualized his return to his people in these words: … the entire redemption of the Jewish people hinged on one immutable condition: that Moshe accept the mandate as the nation’s leader and become the instrument of its redemption… Now he had to transform himself into a shaliah, a messenger of G-d. He had to change his opinion of the Israelites in order to become the instrument of their redemption… The Divine mandate was not only that Moshe convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave, but that he rejoin his people. Only then could he begin his task as their redeemer. (Ibid. , underlining my own) How can we apply Moshe’s narrative to our own lives? As did Moshe, the ultimate teacher and messenger of Hashem, we need to re-affirm the indissoluble link we have with all Jews. Stated somewhat differently, we need to remove tzarat (distance) from our hearts and minds, and recognize the essential truth that binds us to one another: kol Yisrael arevim zeh l’zeh (all of the Jewish people are responsible for one another). May we achieve this most noble of goals soon and in our days. V’chane yihi ratzon. Shabbat Shalom Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email rdbe718@gmail.com. *** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn. ** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613. *** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog and Scoopit.com Pages:http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.orghttp://www.scoop.it/t/educational-technology-yeshiva-editionhttp://www.scoop.it/t/great-digital-judaic-studies-resources

Parshiot Tazria - HaChodesh 5774, 2014:Chodesh Nissan: The Chosen Month Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, and Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam. The mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh was the first commandment given to Bnai Yisrael as a nation. Rashi (1040-1105), basing himself upon various Midrashic sources, formulates this concept in his glosses on the very first verse of the Torah: “In the beginning” Said Rabbi Isaac: It was not necessary to begin the Torah except from “This month is to you,” (Sefer Shemot 12:2) which is the first commandment that the Israelites were commanded, (for the main purpose of the Torah is its commandments, and although several commandments are found in Genesis, e.g., circumcision and the prohibition of eating the thigh sinew, they could have been included together with the other commandments). (This, and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) Rosh Chodesh is the topic of this week’s additional Torah reading in Sefer Shemot 12:1- 2: “The L-rd spoke to Moses and to Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying: ‘This month shall be to you the head of the months; to you it shall be the first of the months of the year.’” Rashi notes that the p’shat-level (direct meaning) interpretation of the words “this month” refers to the month of Nissan. Additionally, from this point onward, it will be considered the first of all of the months of the Jewish calendar: … a biblical verse does not lose its simple meaning (Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 63a). Concerning the month of Nissan, He [G-d] said to him [Moshe], “This shall be the first of the order of the number of the months, so Iyar shall be called the second [month], and Sivan the third [month].” (Ibid.) The Seforno (Rabbi Ovadiah ben Yaakov, 1470-1550), builds upon Rashi’s explanation and focuses upon the word “lachem” (“to you”) that is found two times in our pasuk (verse). His explanation of this word emphasizes the newly found freedom that is the hallmark of the month of Nissan: From this point and onwards, the months shall be yours, to do with them according to your desires. During the days [i.e. years] of your servitude, however, the days did not belong to you. They were, instead, for the purpose of serving others [as slaves] and according to their will. Consequently, [this month has been transformed for you, and has become] “to you the head of the months” of the year. This is the case, for in it [Nissan] you [the Jewish people] have begun your free existence.” (Brackets my own) It is fascinating to note that the Seforno’s explanation of “lachem” as referring to our nascent freedom was anticipated by the great French Bible commentator, Rabbeinu Yosef ben Yitzhak Bechor Shor (12th century), some 300 years earlier: “This month shall be to you the head of the months…” for freedom. And you [the Jewish people] shall make it the first [month] in the counting of the months. This is the case, in order that you should count [your months] from the incipient moment of freedom. In this manner, you will always be reminded of the moment of freedom and you will remember the good that I [G-d] did on your behalf. As a result, you will be punctilious in holding Me in awe, in loving Me, and in serving Me. (Emphasis my own) In sum, the Bechor Shor understands “lachem” as a clarion call to the Jewish people to recognize the gift of freedom that Hashem has given us, and demonstrate our eternal thanks to Him (hakaret hatov). This, he suggests, should lead to yirat (awe), ahavat (love), and avodat (service) Hashem. Therefore, inherent in Chodesh Nissan are the seeds of these complementary approaches to serving our Creator. Rabbi Meir Leibush ben Yechiel Michel (1809-1879), known as the Malbim, also focuses upon the importance of the word “lachem.” He notes that this word always connotes exclusivity. This means that Nissan is ours alone. Only the Jewish people have a special relationship with this month, and no other nation is connected to Nissan and the kindness of Hashem that was manifested therein. In addition, the Malbim notes that the Egyptians, like many other nations, had a solar rather than lunar calendar. Furthermore, the Egyptians went so far as to worship the sun itself as their main deity: “The Egyptians had no connection whatsoever to lunar months. Their system of counting was solar based – since, as is well known, the sun was the head of their pantheon.” In contrast, he notes that the Jewish tradition of counting the months has always been based upon the lunar calendar. This, he opines, goes back to the beginning of Creation: “Regarding the Jewish people, however, their custom, since the time of Adam, has always been to count the months according to the lunar months – as we find in the accounting [of the days and months] of the Flood.” We may well ask the Malbim, however, “If this is the case, what is so special about our having been commanded to view Nissan as the first month of the year? Is this not something we would have naturally done?” Here, too, we find an illuminating answer: Until this point [Sefer Shemot 12:1- 2], however, Bnai Yisrael counted Tishrei as the first month of the year, just as we find according to Rabbi Eliezer’s opinion in tractate Rosh Hashanah [page 11]. This was the case, since the world was created in this month and it is/was, therefore, Rosh Hashanah. [Now, however,] the Jewish people were commanded to count the months from the month of Nissan as a commemoration of the Exodus (zacher l’yitziat Mitzraim). For at that time [i.e. Nissan], they began to live a higher kind of existence than that determined by the laws of Nature - that are dependent upon the Creation of the Universe. From that point in time, there began an existence [for the Jewish people] based solely upon Divine Providence. This is why the word [lachem”] is repeated twice, [i.e. to emphasize the new relationship that obtains between Hakadosh Baruch Hu and the Jewish people] (Underlining and brackets my own) Given the above, we can now see that Chodesh Nissan represents a new and indissoluble connection between Hashem and the Jewish people. It is the “chodesh mesugal” (“the chosen month”), wherein G-d chose us and decreed that we would exist directly under His protection. In short, it is the time wherein we became His am segulah (the Chosen People). This Shabbat we will read Parashat HaChodesh, and this week we will celebrate Rosh Chodesh Nissan. These acts are antecedent to our celebrating Pesach (Passover), when Hashem took us to be His people. With the Holy One’s help, may the upcoming Yom Tov be enriched by both a new understanding of the significance of Chodesh Nissan and a new appreciation of our unique relationship with the Master of the Universe. V’chane yihi ratzon. Shabbat Shalom Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email rdbe718@gmail.com. *** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn. ** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613. *** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog and Scoopit.com Pages:http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.orghttp://www.scoop.it/t/educational-technology-yeshiva-editionhttp://www.scoop.it/t/great-digital-judaic-studies-resources

Thoughts on the Parah Adumah (Red Heifer) Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, and Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam.Chazal (our Sages of blessed memory) established the custom of reading four parshiot, in addition to the regular weekly Torah portions between Rosh Chodesh Adar and Rosh Chodesh Nisan. The third of these parshiot, and the one that we will be reading this week, is Parashat Parah. Fascinatingly, while Shlomo Hamelech (King Solomon) was the wisest man who ever lived and the master of all known chachmah (wisdom), the explanation of the Parah Adumah forever eluded his phenomenal intellect. This mitzvah defied his understanding because of its seemingly paradoxical nature: it ritually purifies the impure while simultaneously rendering the ritually pure impure. Even King Solomon could not solve this conundrum. It is a “riddle” that remains unsolved until our own time. In addition to the mysterious nature of this mitzvah, we can add the following question: “Why did Chazal mandate the reading of this parasha specifically at this time of the year?” Basing himself upon Talmudic and other Jewish legal sources, the great Chafetz Chaim (Rabbi Yisrael Meir Hakohen of Radun, Poland, 1838-1933), suggests the following: The third [special] portion to be read is Parashat Parah Adumah. It is read on the Shabbat prior to Parashat Hachodesh [the parasha wherein Rosh Chodesh was first commanded in reference to the month of Nisan]. This is because the ritual burning of the Parah Adumah first took place in the desert immediately prior to the month of Nisan. In this way, the Jewish people could be sprinkled with the purifying waters of the Parah Adumah immediately after the Mishkan (Portable Desert Sanctuary) was established. [As a result,] they would be halachically pure [from any death-related ritual defilement] and thereby able to bring the Passover offering in it proper time. Therefore we read this parasha in order to pray before Him, may He be blessed, that He will also sprinkle the purifying waters upon us, soon [and in our days]. (Mishnah Berurah 285:1, subsection 1) In sum, we read our parasha at this time as a reminder of what took place during the Dor Hamidbar (Generation of the Desert), and as a statement of yearning for the soon-to-be realized Messianic era when Hashem will, once again, sprinkle the purifying waters of the Parah Adumah upon us. Just as there are special Torah readings between Rosh Chodesh Adar and Rosh Chodesh Nisan, there are also corresponding special haftorah readings. Each one of these haftorot focuses upon one of the themes presented in the special Torah reading with which it is paired. The haftorah portion for Parashat Parah is taken from Sefer Yechezkel 36. In this instance, the literary connection between our aditional parasha and the haftorah is manifestly evident (verse 25): “And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you will be clean; from all your impurities and from all your abominations will I cleanse you.” (This and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) It is important to note, that this verse, like those that follow, refers to the time of Mashiach. I find the next two pasukim (verses) to be particularly fascinating and somewhat quizzical: And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the heart of stone out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you and bring it about that you will walk in My statutes and you will keep My ordinances and do [them]. What exactly is meant by the terms a “new heart and “a new spirit?” Then, too, what is this “heart of stone” that will be replaced by a “heart of flesh?” Moreover, what does it mean for Hashem to place His “spirit within” us in order that we should follow His statutes and ordinances? How does this last notion impact upon the concept of bechirah chafsheet (man’s free will)? These are just a few of the questions that these fascinating verses lead us to ask. The Babylonian Talmud, in both Berachot 32a and Succah 52b, addressed some of these questions. Therein, Rabbi Hama in the name of Rabbi Hanina discussed how we, as a nation and as individuals, can stand before Hashem – even though there is no one who is completely free of sin: R. Hama said in the name of R. Hanina: But for these three texts, the feet of Israel's enemies would have slipped. One is Whom I have wronged; a second, Behold as the clay in the potter's hand, so are ye in My hand, O house of Israel; the third, And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. R. Papa said: We learn it from here: And I will put My spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes. (Translation, Soncino Talmud, emphasis my own) In order to understand this somewhat cryptic passage, it should be noted that “Israel's enemies” is a euphemism for Jewish people who have violated the Torah. Moreover, “The feet of Israel's enemies would have slipped” means that we need these pasukim “to come to our aid” when Hashem renders His ultimate judgment. As Rashi (1040-1105), in his commentary on Talmud Bavli, Succah 52b (s.v. shalosha mikraot) notes: “These verses testify that sins and merits are in G-d’s control, as is the fundamental makeup of our hearts and minds.” He states this point even more forcefully in his glosses on Talmud Bavli, Berachot 32a (s.v. elmaleh shalosh mikraot halalu): “These verses bear testimony that it is within the Holy One’s power, blessed be He, to fix and remove the Evil Inclination (yatzer harah) within and from us.” In other words, these pasukim “remind” G-d that He built our inclination to sin into the very fabric of human nature. This is evidenced by mankind’s descent into sin immediately prior to the Flood (Sefer Bereishit 6:5-6): “And the L-rd saw that the evil of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of his heart was only evil all the time. And the L-rd regretted that He had made man upon the earth, and He became grieved in His heart.” Our verses in the haftorah, therefore, remind G-d that He created us with the capacity and desire to sin. As such, He, too, “must” take a certain amount of responsibility for our actions. If we are guilty for every manner and variety of sin, He, too, so to speak, is culpable, since He created us in this manner. While we surely cannot and must not absolve ourselves from our myriad sins, we none-the-less have a pitchon peh (an opening of a defense) for absolution, since Hashem created the yatzer harah within us (Rashi, ibid., s.v. nimotatoo). As a result, we can legitimately call upon our Creator to mitigate His judgment against us when we stand before Him in judgment. In addition, Rashi helps us understand some of the specific terms used in our passage from Sefer Yechezkel. He explains that a “new heart” refers to “An inclination (yatzer) that has been renewed for the better.” In other words, we will no longer be so totally at the mercy of the Evil Inclination. Instead, we will more likely be swayed in the direction of doing good rather than evil. I believe that Rashi’s interpretation can be extrapolated, as well, to include the idea of a “new spirit.” This means that mankind will recognize Hashem as the one and only G-d and be driven to serve Him in purity and truth. This brings us to one of the major problems of the haftorah’s verses, namely, how do they correlate with the concept of bechirah chafsheet? At first glance, they seem to be in stark contradistinction to this fundamental principle of our faith. The Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) formulated this concept in the following fashion: This matter [of there being a free will] is a very important principle, and is a support of the Torah and meritorious deeds, as it is written, “See, I have set before you on this day life and good, and death and evil.” It is also written, “Behold, I set before you on this day a blessing and a curse.” This is to say that one has the free will to do what one wants, whether it is good or bad. It is for this reason that it is written, “O that there were such a heart in them,” i.e. the Creator does not force or decree upon anybody to do good or bad, but lets them choose. (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Teshuvah 5:3, O’Levy translation) Maimonides further underscores the absolute nature of bechirah chafsheet in the following two laws (ibid., 5:1-2): One has a free choice to follow either the good ways and to be righteous, or to follow the bad ways and be wicked. The Torah says, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil,” i.e. there is only one Mankind in the world and that there is no other type with respect to this matter. One should decide one's opinions and thoughts for oneself, whether they will be good or bad, and to do what one wants. Nobody can influence one to do good or bad… Do not even consider what the ignorant peoples and most of the unthinking of Israel say, that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, decrees upon each person at the time of birth whether he will be good or bad. This is not so - every person has the potential to be as righteous as Moses our Teacher, or as wicked as Jeroboam, clever or stupid, merciful or cruel, miserly or noble, or indeed to possess any of the other temperaments. Nobody can force one, decree upon one, or lead one into one of the ways, but one should choose a way based upon his one's own free will… I believe that we can rectify the seeming contradiction between Yechezkel’s verses and the essential theological principle of free will in the following fashion: True, Hashem created us with the potential to sin. Yet, at the very dawn of human existence, He gave us the ability to conquer sin and emerge victorious. This is powerfully illustrated by G-d’s words to Cain in Sefer Bereishit (4:6-7): And the L-rd said to Cain, "Why are you annoyed, and why has your countenance fallen? Is it not so that if you improve, it will be forgiven you? If you do not improve, however, at the entrance, sin is lying, and to you is its longing, but you can rule over it." (Emphasis my own) Thus, even when G-d will give us a “new heart” and place His spirit within us, this will only diminish our likelihood for sinning. We will still have to “rule over it.” In other words, we will continue to be challenged by our desires and longings, and, therefore, will need to exercise our bechirah chafsheet in order to fulfill Hashem’s commandments. There will be an important change, however - Hashem will join us in a new and glorious way. He will actively partner with us in perfecting the world in His Divine image, by lessening the impact of the yetzer hara upon us. Once again, He “… will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you will be clean; from all your impurities and from all your abominations…” May this time come soon and in our days. V’chane yihi ratzon. Shabbat Shalom Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email rdbe718@gmail.com. *** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn. ** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613. *** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog and Scoopit.com Pages:http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.orghttp://www.scoop.it/t/educational-technology-yeshiva-editionhttp://www.scoop.it/t/great-digital-judaic-studies-resources

Parshiot Tzav - Zachor - Purim 5774, 2014: The Eternal Nature of Megillat Esther Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, and Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam.Talmud Yerushalmi, Megillah 1:5 (Vilna) presents us with an amazing statement regarding the overriding import of Megillat Esther: Rabbi Yochanan and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish [had a dispute.] Rabbi Yochanan declared: “The Prophets and the Writings will be nullified in the future (atidin livatel) whereas the Five Books of the Torah will not be nullified in the future. What is the reason? [The Torah states, Sefer Devarim 5:19:] ‘The L-rd spoke these words to your entire assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the opaque darkness, with a great voice, which did not cease…’” Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: “This is the case, as well, in regards to Megillat Esther and Torah shel Ba’al Peh (Oral Law) – neither of them will be nullified. The Torah says [in regard to the Five Books of the Torah] ‘with a great voice, which did not cease,’ and [Megillat Esther 9:28] states later on: ‘and their memory shall not cease from their seed.’ Regarding the Oral Law it states [Chavakuk 3:6]: ‘The procedures [halichot – taken as a play on words for halachot] of the world [olam = forever] are His.’” (Translation, brackets and underlining my own) Our Talmudic passage clearly states the extraordinary significance of Megillat Esther. In regards to its eternality, it is no different than the Five Books of the Torah and the Laws of Torah shel Ba’al Peh! At first glance one might think that Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish’s words ought not to be taken at face value, and are perhaps nothing other than a homiletic flourish. According to the Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204), however, nothing could be further from the truth: “All the books of the Prophets and all the Holy Writings will be nullified in the Messianic era, with the exception of the Book of Esther. It will continue to exist, as will the Five Books of the Torah and the halachot of the Oral Law, which will never be nullified.” (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Megillah u’Chanukah 2:18, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger) Our commentators differed as to the exact understanding of the phrase “will be nullified in the future” (“atidin livatel)” that is used in both the Talmud Yerushalmi and the Mishneh Torah. The Korban Eidah (Rabbi David Frankel, 1704-1762), in his commentary on the Talmud Yerushalmi, took the statement quite literally: Since these works (the Prophets and the Writings) exist solely to bring ethical exhortation to the Jewish people and in the future [i.e. Messianic times] everyone will have [true] knowledge of Hashem – both young and old – and that which is explained in them as well as their many laws has already been hinted at in the Torah. [Therefore, they will be nullified.] (Translation and brackets my own) In contrast, the Ra’avad (Rabbeinu Abraham ben David, 1125-1198) took the Rambam’s statement to task. His glosses, however, specifically support the overarching significance of Megillat Esther: [In truth,] not a single work of Tanach will cease to exist from all of the books since there is no work that does not have material that ought to be learned. Rather, this is what they really said [and meant]: “Even if the rest of the books would cease to be read, the Megillah would never be nullified from it’s being read in public. (Translation and brackets my own) We are now left with a substantive question: “Why is Megillat Esther considered so radically different than the rest of the works of the Prophets and Writings? I believe that three important characteristics of Purim reveal the answer to this question. In many ways, Purim is the chag (festival) of manifest chesed (kindness) between man and his fellow man. This is most clearly demonstrated through the mitzvah of matanot l’evyonim (gifts to the poor) that we distribute on this day. The Rambam ruled that this obligation is so important that if one is forced to choose between having a plentiful Purim repast and lavish mishloach manot (gifts to friends), or sufficient matanot l’evyonim, one must focus first and foremost upon the needs of the poor: It is preferable for a person to be more liberal with his donations to the poor than to be lavish in his preparation of the Purim feast or in sending portions to his friends. For there is no greater and more splendid happiness than to gladden the hearts of the poor, the orphans, the widows, and the converts. One who brings happiness to the hearts of these unfortunate individuals resembles the Divine Presence, which Isaiah 57:15 describes as having the tendency “to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive those with broken hearts.” (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Megillah u’Chanukah 2:17, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger) Purim is also the chag of volitionalkabbalat haTorah (acceptance of the Torah), in contrast to Shavuot, which is widely viewed as a time of compulsory kabbalat haTorah: “And they [the Jewish people] stood under the mount [i.e. Mount Sinai, at Shavuot time]” (Sefer Shemot 19:17): R. Abdimi b. Hama b. Hasa said: This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, overturned the mountain upon them like an [inverted] cask, and said to them, ‘If you accept the Torah, all is well; if not, there shall be your burial.’ … Said Raba, yet even so, they [volitionally] re-accepted it [i.e. the Torah] in the days of Ahasuerus, for it is written, “The Jews ordained and took upon themselves and upon their seed and upon all those who join them…” (Megillat Esther 9:27) [i.e.] they confirmed what they had accepted long before. (Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 88a, translation, The Soncino Talmud with my emendations and brackets for clarity) Moreover, Purim prepared us for the age of hester panim, the time of Hashem’s hidden Schechinah (Divine Presence) without prophecy and the Holy Temple. In essence, Purim taught us that the darkest spiritual hour is just before ayelet hashachar (the dawn). Perhaps most of all, Megillat Esther and Purim enable us to realize that while we may not witness such wonders as the Makkot (the Ten Plagues), Kriyat Yam Suf (the splitting of the Sea of Reeds) and the Revelation at Mount Sinai on an ongoing basis, we are, none-the-less, blessed with daily miracles. The Anshei Kenneset Hagadolah (the Men of the Great Assembly) formulated this concept in the Modim section of the Shemoneh Esrei: We recognize and thank You … for Your miracles that are with us each and every day, and for the wonders and the good things that You do for us at all times, evening morning and afternoon. You are the ultimate Good One for Your mercy never ceases, and the Compassionate One since Your kindness never ended, we shall ever place our hope in You. In sum, Purim, and its declaratory document, the Megillah, emerge as a powerful force that simultaneously re-forged our identity as a people, and restrengthened our connection to, and relationship with, Hashem. Then, too, they reaffirm our historical destiny and our ardent desire to ultimately see the realization of G-d’s kingdom in this world. With His help, may this Purim be our final Purim in galut (the Diaspora), and may it herald the imminent arrival of Mashiach Tzidkanu (the Righteous Messiah). V’chane yihi ratzon. Shabbat Shalom and Purim Sameach! Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email rdbe718@gmail.com. *** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn. ** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613. *** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog and Scoopit.com Pages:http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.orghttp://www.scoop.it/t/educational-technology-yeshiva-editionhttp://www.scoop.it/t/great-digital-judaic-studies-resources

Parashat Vayikra 5774, 2014: Maimonides, Korbanot (Sacrifices), and Rav Soloveitchik Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, and Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam. In the main, Sefer Vayikra discusses the Laws of the Kohanim and avodat Hashem (the service of Hashem) as expressed by the korbanot. The Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) discussed the rationale inherent in the korbanot in two different sections of his Guide of the Perplexed. The first passage appears in III:32: … at that time the way of life generally accepted and customary in the whole world and the universal service upon which we were brought up consisted in offering various species of living beings in the temples in which images were set up, in worshipping the latter, and in burning incense before them – the pious ones and the ascetics being at that time, as we have explained, the people who were devoted to the service of the temples consecrated to the stars - : His wisdom, may He be exalted, and His gracious ruse, which is manifest in regard to all His creatures, did not require that He give us a Law prescribing the rejection, abandonment, and abolition of all these kinds of worship. For one could not conceive the acceptance of [such a Law], considering the nature of man, which always likes that to which it is accustomed. At that time this would have been similar to the appearance of a prophet in these times who, calling upon the people to worship G-d, would say: “G-d has given you a Law forbidding you pray to Him for help in misfortune, to fast, to call upon Him for help in misfortune. Your worship should consist solely in meditation without any works at all.” Therefore He, may He be exalted, suffered the above-mentioned kinds of worship to remain, but transferred them from created or imaginary and unreal things to His own name, may He be exalted, commanding us to practice them with regard to Him, may He be exalted. (The Guide of the Perplexed, translation and notes, Dr. Shlomo Pines, vol. II, page 526, underlining and bolding my own) In sum, the Rambam maintained that Hakadosh Baruch Hu (the Holy One Blessed be He) commanded the offering of korbanot as a concession to the normative behaviors known to our forebears. In his view, the historical precedent set by the surrounding nations in the Middle East regarding animal sacrifices was simply too powerful to overcome or ignore. Therefore, G-d simultaneously “suffered” and commanded our ancestors to continue this form of worship as a testimony to His honor and glory, and thereby serve as an educative device. Maimonides’ second explicit section in the Guide for the Perplexed discussing korbanot appears in III:46. In this passage, he maintains that the entire sacrificial service is, in reality, a negative response driven by the desire to delegitimize the practices of the surrounding idol-worshipping nations who forbade the offering of sheep (Egyptians), goats (Sabians), and oxen (all nations of the time):Thus it was in order to efface the traces of these incorrect opinions [i.e. forbidding the offering of sheep, goats, and oxen] that we have been ordered by the Law to offer in sacrifices only these three species of quadrupeds: “When a man from [among] you brings a sacrifice to the L-rd; from animals, from cattle or from the flock you shall bring your sacrifice.” (Sefer Vayikra 1:2) In this way an action considered by them as an extreme act of disobedience was the one through which one came near to G-d and sought forgiveness for one’s sins. Thus wrong opinions, which are diseases of the human soul, are cured by their contrary found at the other extreme. (Ibid. , pages 581-582, underlining my own) Thus, the Rambam maintained that the inherent rationale of the korbanot is comprised of two complementary historical parts: 1) A concession to the normative behaviors known to our forebears and as an educative device 2)The desire to delegitimize the practices of the surrounding idol-worshipping nations, and as a demonstration of that which is fitting and proper. My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, strongly rejected the Rambam’s approach to the rationalization of the mitzvot as presented in the Guide for the Perplexed. As we have seen in the case of korbanot, the Rambam focused upon the causalistic approach or the “how” question, (i.e. “How did sacrifices come to be?”) when analyzing this class of commandments. The Rav vigorously repudiated this entire methodology: Judging Maimonides’ undertaking retrospectively, one must admit that the master whose thought shaped Jewish ideology for centuries to come did not succeed in making his interpretation of the commandments prevalent in our world perspective. While we recognize his opinions on more complicated problems such as prophecy, teleology and creation, we completely ignore most of his rational notions regarding the commandments. The reluctance on the part of the Jewish homo religiosus [religious person] to accept Maimonidean rationalistic ideas is not ascribable to any agnostic tendencies, but to the incontrovertible fact that such explanations neither edify nor inspire the religious consciousness. They are essentially, if not entirely, valueless for the religious interests we have most at heart. … If rationalization is guided by the “how” question and by the principle of objectification then it is detrimental to religious thought. (Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, The Halakhic Mind: An Essay on Jewish Tradition and Modern Thought, pages 92 and 98, brackets and underlining my own) In Rabbi Soloveitchik’s view, both in regard to the korbanot and other aspects of Jewish practice, it must ever be our goal to search for explanations of the Torah and mitzvot that “edify and inspire the religious consciousness,” so that we can grow closer to our Creator. This idea closely corresponds to the Rav’s emphasis on the ultimate importance of devekut Hashem (cleaving and dedication to Hashem) that is so prominently displayed in his favorite work, “U’Bikashtem Misham” (“And From There He Will Search for You”). Clearly, for the Rav, only a spiritually-inspired being will be able to extend his hand to his Creator with the expectation that his gesture will be returned in kind. Shabbat Shalom Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email rdbe718@gmail.com. *** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn. ** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613. *** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog and Scoopit.com Pages:http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.orghttp://www.scoop.it/t/educational-technology-yeshiva-editionhttp://www.scoop.it/t/great-digital-judaic-studies-resources